San Diego leaders yesterday said that they "believe the Chargers could be successful if the team decides to pursue another local stadium solution in the wake of voters soundly rejecting Measure C on Tuesday," according to a front-page piece by David Garrick of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. But the Chargers declined to say whether they will "take that route or possibly move" to L.A., and local leaders "acknowledged a successful stadium deal in San Diego would certainly be a tall order." A new deal could face "less robust opposition if it includes more public input than Measure C, which was written by the Chargers without any negotiation with the city or other groups." A variety of local leaders, including San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and many opponents of Measure C, said that they are "eager to quickly begin discussing a new deal and said they could support something that’s the result of a community consensus." A future ballot may also be "less clogged and less politically toxic" than the '16 presidential election. Local support for a new Chargers stadium also "figures to grow" as the teams effort to move to Carson, Calif., last year "become a more distant memory." If the Chargers decide to take another shot in San Diego, "reasons for pessimism" include the team’s "stated disinterest in a new Mission Valley stadium, narrowing the possible locations" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/10). Chargers QB Philip Rivers said, "I don't know that the actual vote is about a direct reflection of what the city thinks of the Chargers. ... It's more about all the ins and outs of what the measure exactly meant and how people felt like it affected them" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 11/9).
PICKING UP THE PIECES: In San Diego, Tom Krasovic notes the next big step for Chargers Chair Dean Spanos and his advisers is to "try to come up with a new stadium solution that San Diego voters would approve" or try to somehow "get around a public vote." Former Chargers GM A.J. Smith said that the team’s option to move to Inglewood is "just a piece of paper." He added that the Chargers "have to play ball with San Diego and especially Faulconer." L.A. "doesn’t want the Chargers, and the NFL, it appears, doesn’t want the Raiders in L.A." In light of California’s resistance to subsidizing new venues as other states do, it will be "interesting to see how the NFL resolves its other California conflicts." San Diego, which "would return to the Super Bowl rotation if the NFL decides the stadium passes muster, is worth the effort." Spanos said that he "won’t make a decision on what to do next until after this season" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/10). In N.Y., Ken Belson notes the Chargers, who have several years left on their lease at Qualcomm Stadium, "have until the second week of January" to exercise the option of joining the Rams in Inglewood (N.Y. TIMES, 11/10). Meanwhile, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said the Chargers could "go to the league" and try and extends their deadline past January until the end of '17. But to "do that they'd have to clear it with the Raiders who would be up next in the L.A. derby" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 11/9).
SENSE OF LOYALTY: CBS Sports Net's Adam Schein said the Chargers are "going to L.A." Schein: "I would feel terrible for the great fans ... but to me, they're not going to get a new stadium and the writing is on the wall" ("Time to Schein," CBSSN, 11/9). In San Diego, Kevin Acee writes if the Chargers really want to stay in San Diego, "now is the time to say so." What they are saying instead is "implicitly the opposite." Acee: "Spanos is a loyal man. Loyal to employees and family. And loyal to San Diego." But the city "does not trust the Spanos family." Sensational steps "need to be taken to rectify that" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/10). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "The NFL has a lot of money. If the NFL wants a team in San Diego, take the money out, build (a stadium) and then to make up for what you've given away every other year, hold the Super Bowl in San Diego. Who would object to that?" ("PTI," ESPN, 11/9). NFL Net's Alex Flanagan said there is a sense around the organization that they are "exhausted, that everybody needs a break from the stadium talk" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 11/9). A SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE editorial cartoon depicts President-elect Donald Trump giving advice to Spanos.
